The future USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) successfully concluded its acceptance
trial Sept. 18, after completing a series of in-port and underway demonstrations
for the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). The acceptance
trial is the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship
to the Navy, which is planned for October. During the five-day trial,
the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the installed systems.

(Sept. 18, 2015) MARINETTE, Wisconsin - USS Milwaukee
makes waves during its acceptance trial. The acceptance trial is the
last significant milestone before delivery of the ship to the Navy,
which is planned for October. (Photo by U.S. Navy)

“What
a ride,” said LCS program manager Capt. Tom Anderson. “The
weather on Lake Michigan during the conduct of this trial was not pleasant.
Despite the high sea state, Milwaukee crisply executed the schedule
of events and received some of the highest demonstration scores to date
for the LCS class. Milwaukee lives up to her namesake city in both her
tenacity and strength."

While underway the ship performed launch and recovery operations of
the 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boat, a four-hour full power run,
surface and air self-defense detect-to-engage exercises, and demonstrated
the ship's maneuverability performing tight turns and full-power quick
reversal.

Following her commissioning in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in November, the
ship will prepare for full ship shock trials to be held in the Atlantic
Ocean in 2016. She will then sail to California to be homeported in
San Diego with sister ships USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS
2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and USS Coronado (LCS 4).

LCS is a modular, reconfigurable ship, with three types of mission packages
including surface warfare, mine countermeasures, and anti-submarine
warfare. The Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships (PEO LCS)
is responsible for delivering and sustaining littoral mission capabilities
to the fleet. Delivering high-quality warfighting assets while balancing
affordability and capability is key to supporting the nation's maritime
strategy.